On 13 March 2025, Erasmus School of Economics hosted a workshop on public transport, organised by Erasmus Center for Optimization in Public Transport (ECOPT), under the leadership of Professor Dennis Huisman. The event brought together academics and industry professionals to discuss advancements in public transport optimisation, featuring speakers from both research and practice.
Exploring transport efficiency and demand elasticity
The workshop opened with a talk by Evelien van der Hurk from Technical University of Denmark (DTU). She presented her research on optimal line planning, highlighting how frequency-dependent travel times influence passenger choices. By integrating demand elasticity into network design, her model captures a larger share of travellers while reducing overall weighted travel times. Van der Hurk also introduced a novel algorithm that significantly accelerates computation times. While her presentation was the more technical of the two, it resonated strongly with both practitioners and academics.
Leveraging OR for commercial transport networks
Following the break, Sander van Aken from Flix SE shared insights into the role of Operations Research (OR) in large-scale, long-distance coach transport networks. Van Aken detailed how his team develops OR-powered software to support network planning, optimising vehicle and crew schedules, and integrating demand forecasting in optimisation tools. He also discussed strategies for balancing seasonal demand fluctuations while maintaining profitability and efficiency. A key takeaway from his talk was how Flix SE prioritises simplicity in its models, ensuring practical and realistic outcomes in a complex and dynamic industry.
Bridging theory and practice
The discussions at the end of each workshop underscored the importance of collaboration between academia and industry in tackling real-world challenges. With a strong turnout and engaging discussions, the ECOPT workshop proved to be a valuable platform for knowledge exchange. Dennis Huisman emphasised the event’s impact, stating: ‘During this event, several insights have been shared that can result in better and more attractive public transport systems.’
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For more information, please contact Ronald de Groot, Media and Public Relations Officer at Erasmus School of Economics, rdegroot@ese.eur.nl, or +31 6 53 641 846.
